We provide information on changes in the Quebec Environmental Quality Act that could be important for some industries operating in Quebec. We also provide a look at recent environmental enforcement activity, including enforcement at a goat farm in Ontario.
Quebec Increases Environmental Fines for Industrial Sector
Specific industrial sectors in Quebec face significantly higher fines for violations under the Environmental Quality Act.
In a blog post by Fasken, they write, “Starting August 13, 2026, certain companies engaged in industrial activities deemed high-risk will be subject to minimum fines ten times higher in the event of a violation of the Environment Quality Act (EQA). This reform is part of a broader trend aimed at strengthening the deterrent effect of environmental sanctions and encouraging companies to ensure their compliance with applicable legislative and regulatory requirements.”
According to the Quebec Ministry of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (the Ministry), fines will increase tenfold, including:
| Violations of the Environmental Quality Act | Current minimum fine |
New minimum fine |
| Failure to comply with a condition of ministerial authorization | $7,500 | $75,000 |
| Carrying out an activity without ministerial authorization | $15,000 | $150,000 |
| Release of a contaminant into the environment | $30,000 | $300,000 |
The industrial activities affected by this legislation were “targeted because of the importance of their potential emissions…and the high level of risks associated with their sectors…”
The Ministry states that the targeted industries include the battery industry and oil refineries, as well as several sectors subject to the Industrial Waste Reduction Program, including pulp and paper, mining, aluminum smelters, foundries, cement plants, steelmaking, lime production, the manufacture of chemical fertilizers, explosives, tires, and glass.
What was described as “solidified dairy material” was also observed throughout ditches and a culvert situated on the perimeter of the Goat Farm.
Dairy Goat Farm Fined $270,000 for Ontario Water Resources Act Violation
1048547 Ontario Inc., operating as Skotidakis Goat Farm, was convicted for failing to immediately notify the ministry of a discharge or escape (Ontario Court Bulletin).
According to the Bulletin, on the morning of September 26, 2022, a concerned resident contacted the ministry to report that a portion of the Rigaud River near the Grande Montee Bridge was white.
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Conservation and Parks (MECP) staff arrived on scene later that morning. They observed “white swirls and white surface scum in the Rigaud River along a shoreline.” What was described as “solidified dairy material” was also observed throughout ditches and a culvert situated on the perimeter of the site.
As a result of the inspection, it was determined that a spill had occurred on a previous day at Skotidakis Goat Farm. The dairy appeared to have flowed through the ditch and culvert and, ultimately, through an outfall leading to the Rigaud River.
The Bulletin states that the company failed to report the spill to the MECP (as required by law).
The company was fined $270,000, plus a victim fine surcharge of $67,500, and given 30 days to pay.
$269,000 Fine for Mine Waste Spill
British Columbia’s (B.C.) largest coal mine operator has been penalized a combined $269,000.
According to Business in Vancouver, EVR Operations Ltd., which runs four operational coal mines in southeast B.C.’s Elk Valley, was handed the penalties in two July 2026 decisions. The violations were for elevated levels of selenium and nitrate being discharged into a nearby river.
An article in Coast Reporter states, “The penalty is a continuation of an October 2025 decision that penalized the company $3.6 million for delaying construction of three water treatment facilities and breaching water quality limits 171 times.”
That article also states, “In 2021, EVR was ordered to pay $60 million in fines and monetary court orders for breaching federal fisheries laws after depositing dissolved waste rock laced with selenium and calcite into the Fording River.”
For more information on Natural Resources Compliance and Environmental Enforcement in B.C., see their database.
Environmental Assistance
If you need assistance with an environmental issue, contact Katherine Rey, E.P., or Christopher Paré, P.Geo., Q.P., at 519-948-7300.
Alan Hahn drafted this blog. Alan has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and completed a graduate program in Environmental Management. He has worked in environmental management for more than 45 years. He has written hundreds of blogs and articles. His published work includes HazMat Magazine, BizX Magazine, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, GreenStone Partners, Manure Manager Magazine, and Progressive Dairy.
Katherine Rey, EP, reviewed this blog. Katherine is a project manager at Dragun’s Windsor, Ontario, office. Katherine has more than 17 years of experience on projects ranging from environmental site assessments (Phase One/Two ESA), excess soils, remedial investigations, soil and groundwater remediation, Permits to Take Water, Records of Site Conditions, vapour intrusion, and site decommissioning. See Katherine’s bio.
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